Paddle Boarding...harder than the Hawaiians make it look!

Tuesday...took my new bathing suit out on a paddle board! Great fun, except the waves today were really quite high and strong...that tropical storm in the south is really heaving the water. No pix I'm afraid, and since the waves dunked me about 5 times, it was a good thing I didn't have my phone or iPad with me!!!

Even the sidewalks give you a gorgeous view!

Sun was so bright that it was a silver blanket, almost hard on the eyes!

The Village is only a block from my suite, so went for a little more shopping...

A most spectacular sunset tonight.

Diamond Head

In all the times I've been to Hawaii, I never climbed Diamond Head, until today. Quite the climb, and the humidity and temps were a factor. But so worth the climbing effort!

Once you walk up to the first parking lot, you have to walk through a tunnel that you share with the traffic

One of the other bunkers on the ridge 

Green all along the way

Holes in the lava mountain

The trail is reminiscent of the Camino in spots

See all those little specks almost at the top? I'll be there soon...

 

One of the stairways that are part of the climb

View from about half way up, the back side of the crater

The stairway to the bunker

Part of the walk is through a rough cut tunnel

The bunker from the last curve of the climb

Waikiki Beach from way up here!

Hello from the edge!

Back to Waikiki for a swim to cool down and to soak up a few rays (through the intermittent cloud cover)

A lovely sunset ended a great day!

Hilo to Honolulu

After a great Dog Show, where my BIS was a Flat-coated Retriever, the other judges and I enjoyed watching a rainy night from the dinning room...there is a tropical storm in the Pacific, raging south of the islands. Hawaii being the southern most, is getting a bit of the spin-off. As its was supposed to rain for the next couple of days, I changed my ticket to leave Hawaii for Oahu to early morning.

Staying at the Waikiki Marina Tower, and this is my view if the marina and Waikiki beach from my 37th floor vantage...

In keeping with tradition, my first stop was to Duke's for a Lava Flow...I just love tradition!

The beautiful view of Diamondhead from Duke's

Dipping my feet in the ocean and digging my toes into the sand of Waikiki 

The waves started to swell a bit at about 4:00, so all the kids raced out for a few more rides before dark. Clouds rolled in but no rain, stayed beautifully warm and made for a great night for a walk...

Volcano National Park

An absolutely gorgeous day for the tour. Blue sky, a few puffy clouds and about 82 - 84f all day long. A few clouds rolled in and a few warm raindrops fell at the very end of the day...not that we noticed much. 

First stop, Rainbow Falls

So beautiful, and the mist creates a permanent rainbow, you just have to get the right angle!

Then on to the Park

Enter The Lava Tube...we only walked a few hundred meters through it, and then up some stairs, I guess there are some that go on for miles...

Bring a flashlight!

Back into the light

Bubble, bubble, toil n trouble

Steam vents in one of the craters

Lunch at the macadamia plantation

Black Sand Beach and then an end to the fabulous day!

Surf's up!

Much Aloha!

Arrived at about 9:00 pm, so not a lot of zipping about tonight. Fly to Hilo on the Big Island early tomorrow, so just a quick walk, a Cheeseburger in Paradise, and then sleep. There is something about the air here; however, that must be felt to be understood...the closest descriptor I can think of is that Hawaii air is SOFT! With the gentle scent of Plumeria, the moisture and the gentle cooing of the island doves...it is truly magical. 

One word of 'advice' if you are island hopping, Hawaiian Air being the only game in town, give yourself considerably more time before your flight than you would expect...crazy busy always! Que for getting boarding pass (self serve) was half an hour, security line about 45 minutes...so don't think cause it's local that it isn't wildly busy. Hawaiian Air has so many flights to the other islands, going every half hour-hour, that the number of peeps is huge. 

Staying at the Hilo Hawaiian...a beautiful ocean park to one side and a truly lovely Japanese park on the other. 

The most amazing tree - the shade it throws is 'dark' - thick and dense foliage- and then there are the Banyons...

The easiest place in the world to live... I'm a thinking!